With increasing complexity of manufactured products and systems, there is an ever increasing need to apply digital electronic technology to provide electronic support for the maintenance, service, testing, and/or repair of those manufactured products and systems. The goal of this support should be to provide more economic, more efficient, and higher quality control over maintenance, service, testing, and repairs. The present invention achieves this important goal by providing an integrated electronic support work station that is both user friendly and capable of performing multiple complex tasks.
A work station operator is provided with a menu-driven interface to an electronic maintenance support computer control system which can be readily used by an unskilled operator to obtain displays of text and graphic information relating to various workpieces/products/systems to be maintained, repaired, tested, or otherwise serviced by the operator. In the course of description, mention may be made to any one of a number of workpiece support activities: maintenance, repair, testing, service, etc. It will be understood that the present invention is applicable to these and other similar supporting activities. One example workpiece is an electronic printer.
A computer-controlled electronic support system includes an electronic work station with a display screen and pointing device coupled to a central processing unit where an operator performs an operation on a workpiece. The workpiece operation begins by an operator entering and processing a work order identifier. In response to that work order identifier, a corresponding workpiece identifier is generated. Image, graphic, and text information associated with that workpiece identifier is retrieved from memory. A user-friendly, menu-based display screen provides a plurality of entries with each entry having menu options associated with the workpiece identifier. Advantageously, an operator can select any one of several different images of the workpiece simply by selecting a menu option. Not only is the particular workpiece image displayed, but also a plurality of graphics associated with that workpiece image. The graphics may include for example icons and "hot spot" areas of the displayed image, any one of which may be selected by the operator simply pointing to the graphic on the display screen. In response, information is displayed relating to the workpiece corresponding to the selected graphic that will assist the operator in performing a particular support operation on the workpiece, e.g., maintenance, servicing, testing, repair, etc.
With respect to graphic icons, each icon corresponds to a particular function to be performed on the workpiece. Advantageously, each icon has a image that identifies or suggests the particular function associated with that icon. Accordingly, the shape of the icon image itself prompts the operator to perform a particular function; when selected, it provides the operator with additional information and/or explanation on how to perform that function on this particular workpiece. Icons might include for example a "wrench" icon that can be selected to instruct the operator to adjust some aspect of the workpiece.
Another very helpful example icon shaped like a pair of binoculars may be selected by the operator on the displayed image to cause a more detailed image of the particular component or part or portion of the display image with which the binoculars icon is associated to be displayed.
The graphics also include outlined images referred to as "hot spots" of each displayed workpiece image. Each outlined area corresponds to a part or component of the workpiece. When the operator points to one of the hot spots, a corresponding part or component identifier, part or component name, and/or part or component description is immediately displayed. If this part or component is desired, the operator simply "clicks" on the mouse pointing device to have the work station electronically order that part after reviewing order.
Another of the menu entries is a troubleshooting menu for assisting the operator with diagnosing a problem with the workpiece and providing a suggested solution to the diagnosed problem. Once the workpiece type has been identified, the operator selects the troubleshooting menu entry which causes a first list of potential problems relevant to that identified workpiece type to be displayed. The operator may then select one of the potential problems from the list which causes a second list of potential solutions related to that problem to be displayed. The operator may use that solution to perform a workpiece operation. The work station automatically maintains an electronic history of operations performed on the workpiece at that electronic work station including any solutions selected from the list. If an operator detects a problem and provides a "new" solution not included on the list, that new solution may be added to the solutions list for that particular problem for that workpiece type.
While the electronic work station may be used as a stand-alone device, it is preferably advantageously used in the context of a network in conjunction with other electronic work stations and a main computer. The main computer includes sufficient memory to store information relating to a number of different workpieces accessible by all of the electronic work stations on the network.
Accordingly, both images and graphics are presented to an operator to illustrate various views of the workpiece being serviced along with display of helpful text instructions and/or comments to guide the operator in the most efficient and effective manner to provide the necessary service. Using this user-friendly but also comprehensive electronic work station, even an operator lacking skill with computers or knowledge of a particular workpiece is able to effectively and efficiently service a variety of different workpieces. In order to integrate as much information as possible pertaining to a particular product or workpiece, the electronic work station in accordance with the present invention employs advantageous data structures to quickly and effectively access the pertinent image, graphic, and text information using a workpiece identifier. The integrated nature of these data structures facilitates coordination of workpiece service operations for a large number of different workpieces at multiple work stations and also facilitates such functions as parts identification, procurement, inventory, testing, quality assurance, shipping, overall management/accounting, etc.